Karen Kasler

Bureau Chief

Credit Kristen Kasler Peters

Contact Karen at 614/578-6375 or at kkasler@statehousenews.org.

Karen Kasler is a lifelong Ohioan. She grew up in Lancaster, attended Otterbein College in Westerville, and found her first professional break at WCBE-FM, Columbus. Karen was selected as a Fellow in the Kiplinger Program for Mid-Career Journalists at The Ohio State University in 1994. After earning her Master's Degree in that program, she worked at WBNS-TV in Columbus and then moved north to become the afternoon drive anchor/assignment editor for WTAM-AM, Cleveland. Karen followed the demolition and rebuilding of Cleveland Browns Stadium, produced award-winning series on identity theft and the Y2K panic, covered the Republican National Convention in 2000 and the blackout of 2003, and reported annually from the Cleveland National Air Show each year, often going upside down in an aerobatic plane to do it. In 1999, she was a media witness to the execution of Wilford Berry, at the time the first man put to death since Ohio re-instated capital punishment. Karen frequently reported for ABC Radio News, and also co-produced an award-winning nationally-distributed documentary on the one-year anniversary of September 11, 2001, which featured her interview with Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge from the West Wing of the White House.

Since returning to Columbus, she's covered major elections and the controversies surrounding them. Each year she anchors the Bureau's live coverage of the governor's State of the State. She was a moderator for US Senate debates in 2012 and 2010, participated in several debates in 2010, and has led debates over statewide issues. She's produced features for NPR and "Marketplace", and has been interviewed by NPR, the BBC, NBC and several local and regional stations around the country. She's a regular panelist on WCPN/ideastream's "The Sound of Ideas", a frequent guest on WOSU-TV’s “Columbus on the Record” and has appeared on WBNS-TV's "Face the State".

She's been honored by the Association of Capitol Editors and Reporters, the Cleveland Press Club/Society of Professional Journalists, the Ohio Educational Telecommunications Commission, and holds a National Headliner Award. She's won several awards from the Ohio AP, and is a four-time winner of the AP's Best Broadcast Writing award. She's a three-time Emmy nominee for "The State of Ohio". She's a past president of the Ohio Associated Press, and currently on the Board of Directors for the Central Ohio Society of Professional Journalists. Karen is also a former adjunct professor at Capital University in Columbus.

Karen, her husband and their son Jack live on Columbus' northeast side.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) was repeatedly asked by reporters if he would support Donald Trump as his party’s nominee for president, or if he would join other Ohio Republicans and refuse to campaign for Trump. And he gave what some might call a qualified answer.

Though state lawmakers are studying the possibility of a law on medical marijuana, a national group supporting legalized medicinal pot say they’re on their way to putting a constitutional amendment before Ohio voters this fall.

The state’s retailers are pushing lawmakers to put in place permanently a three-day sales tax holiday in August for clothing and school supplies. And they have a new study that shows big numbers to support it.

Voters approved a change in the way the maps for state lawmakers’ districts are drawn last month, sparking calls for a similar change to the maps for members of Congress. While Democrats are united in that push, there’s an apparent split among Republican leaders who could make it happen.

The Secretary of State may soon have a decision on a proposal to cap the price Ohio pays for drugs it buys for Medicaid, prisons and other state-run programs. And while that decision might stop the proposal in its tracks, it’s already controversial.

A huge bill that passed the House unanimously makes a big change in all of Ohio’s state laws. It replaces all references in state law to “mental retardation” with the term “intellectual disability”.

Rep. Jonathan Dever (R-Madiera) is one of the sponsors of the bill. “As we learn more about those with disabilities and we work towards making Ohio a better and more responsive state for the developmentally disabled in our communities, our laws should reflect that collective wisdom,” Dever said.

The endorsed Democrat in the primary for US Senate has been blasted by his opponent and others for not being very visible in this campaign. He's now talking about that, and the candidate he plans to face this fall also has some thoughts.

Each year, the state of Ohio honors the work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with an oratory contest for kids around the state. And just before the day named for him, the winners come to a downtown Columbus church to perform their essays.

Welcome to Election Day 2015 - 24 hours of non-stop news condensed to just under 12 minutes.

The Statehouse News Bureau is a three-member crew that provides coverage of government and politics for Ohio’s public radio listeners. We are not a radio station, but produce spots and packages that air on Ohio’s 33 public radio stations. We are the only broadcast journalists who are dedicated to daily Statehouse and government reporting.